Life of Country Folks in the City during the Song Dynasty

Chapter 23

The next morning, Hu hurriedly went to find the matchmaker and whispered something in her ear. Seeing there was something to gain, the matchmaker thumped her chest and went with Hu to Hu Qing's house. As soon as they entered, they came face to face with a woman who was angrily walking out, shouting, "If you don't pay up, I'll have all your things thrown out!" Hu recognized the woman; she was the landlady of the house.

Hu Qing's residence in the capital was rented by his mother, Hu Shi. However, they had fallen out, and Hu Shi had gone to the landlord to declare she would no longer pay and urged her to kick him out. The landlord, who was still owed several months' rent, feared Hu Qing would run away without paying, so she had been going to collect every few days to demand payment, but to no avail. Furious, she heard yesterday that Hu Qing's parents had also come, and she came again early this morning to demand payment. Hu Qing, truly penniless, ignored the landlord's words and simply kept delaying. His parents, however, felt embarrassed and, although not fully paid, had just given some rent and promised to pay the rest in a few days before finally sending the woman away.

Hu Qing, having finally managed to see the landlord off, sighed inwardly, lamenting that when misfortune strikes, even drinking water can be a problem. Just as he was thinking of going back inside to carefully consider how to deal with the Gu family, he suddenly looked up and saw Hu Shi standing there with her arms crossed, watching him with a cold smile. He knew that what had just happened had been witnessed by her. He was extremely concerned with his image, and his face flushed slightly. However, thinking of last night's scene—not only had he not gained anything, but he had also ruined his new clothes and even lost his turban—his anger flared up again.

The matchmaker, usually shameless enough to swindle tea and wine, was also incredibly perceptive. Seeing the two men staring at each other as if about to start another fight, she quickly went over to Hu Qing, leaned in, and whispered in his ear.

Hu Qing glanced at Madam Hu, who was standing there with her arms crossed and her nose upturned, looking disdainful. After thinking for a moment, he pulled the matchmaker into the back room. Madam Hu knew he was going to discuss things with the parents, so she didn't stop him and picked up a clean stool to sit down.

The matchmaker came out shortly after, smiling at Madam Hu, and said, "Madam, this family thought you offered too little money and asked for more before they agreed to return your marriage certificate. I had to persuade them quite a bit before they agreed to ask for less." As she spoke, she made a gesture with five fingers.

Hu was furious and stood up abruptly, cursing, "I've already offered the maximum amount, and they're heartless enough to want 50% of the dowry. They're dreaming!"

Hu Qing and the others were eavesdropping behind the wall. When they heard Hu Shi cursing so rudely, they couldn't help but jump out and curse back. Seeing that the other party had more people, Hu Shi was afraid that she would be at a disadvantage. She only cursed a few times and then left the family alone. The matchmaker was so angry that she kept stamping her feet, having made a wasted trip.

After returning home, Madam Hu found that Gu Da had disappeared again. Growing increasingly angry, she couldn't help but go to Gu Zao's house and, stopping Madam Fang, began to complain. Madam Fang, seeing that Madam Hu had come to her house and was only incessantly lamenting her own troubles, completely ignoring her second sister's injury, grew displeased and barely paid her any attention. Her words were sarcastic, adding that she was too busy with her third sister and planned to call her back today. Madam Hu then stopped talking. Seeing Gu Zao come out, she hurriedly went over and repeated what she had just said.

Gu Zao was surprised to hear that the Hu family was demanding half of the dowry before they would break off the engagement. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Auntie, if your family is unwilling to pay half, find someone who can mediate and come up with a compromise price. If that works, let's settle this matter as soon as possible."

Helpless, Madam Hu could only sigh and go home. Although Gu Zao had heard from Madam Shen that morning that Third Sister and Xiu Niang were both well, she was still a little worried. After finishing her business at noon, she packed a bag of food and was about to go to Ran Yuan Bridge when she saw Madam Hu coming over again. This time, however, her face was free of the gloom and she was smiling.

As soon as Hu saw Gu Zao, she grabbed her and said with a smile, "Second sister, are you going to Ranyuan Bridge? I'll go with you on the way and pick up my Xiu Niang."

Gu Zao asked curiously, "Auntie, what's wrong with you...?"

Madam Hu said, "Hu Qing just came to my house himself, saying he'd cancel the marriage at the price I initially offered. I've already gotten the marriage certificate back." She then spat angrily, as if still resentful, and added, "It's just a pity for my Xiu Niang, who has suffered so much injustice for nothing, and whose reputation has been ruined by the Hu family. That heartless Hu family took our money; I'll see if they live to spend it!"

Hearing this sudden news, Gu Zao was still a little confused. Hearing Madam Hu cursing Hu Qing, she couldn't help but interrupt and ask, "Auntie, didn't you say this morning that Hu Qing was making exorbitant demands? How come he turned around and came back to beg for peace?"

Mrs. Hu was taken aback and remained silent for a long while before saying triumphantly, "It seems that the Hu family is so greedy for money that they originally wanted to extort a large sum of money, but seeing that my family was tough, they decided to stop while they were ahead. Why bother with all that?"

Although Gu Zao still felt something was amiss, Hu Qing didn't seem like someone who would give in so easily. But now that the marriage certificate had been returned, she was happy that Xiu Niang could finally get rid of the foolish marriage her mother had arranged and no longer have to hide. She told Fang Shi and went with Hu Shi to Ranyuan Bridge to bring Xiu Niang and her second sister back.

After taking her daughter back, Madam Hu didn't even thank Gu Zao's family. She took Xiu Niang's hand and went home. Madam Fang was so angry that she almost fell over. She spat a mouthful of phlegm at Madam Hu's back and vowed never to interfere in this family's affairs again before storming into the shop.

The ointment was indeed quite effective; in just one day and night, the cut on her neck had already begun to heal. As Gu Zao applied the ointment again in front of the mirror, she suddenly thought of Yang Hao.

Could Hu Qing's sudden change of heart and annulment of the engagement be related to him? Recalling the coldness in his last words last night, Gu Zao's hand suddenly paused.

Chapter 55

In the following days, things finally returned to normal. Hu Qing didn't come, Hu Shi didn't come, and even Yang Hao never came again.

Gu Zao felt somewhat uneasy, as if she was looking forward to something every day. However, as the daylight faded, the sense of loss in her heart seemed to intensify.

That evening, after the shop had closed and everything was tidied up, Gu Zao suddenly remembered that the sachet she had made a few days ago was still at her third sister's place, so she went to her third sister's room. When she entered, she saw her third sister still sitting under the lamp sewing a pair of shoe soles, while Liu Zao, exhausted from the day, had already fallen asleep.

Gu Zao glanced at the shoe in her third sister's hand and noticed that the sole was a bit too big, as if it would fit the man's foot. After a moment's thought, she understood and sat down to watch her third sister make the shoe.

When the third sister saw Gu Zao looking at the shoe soles in her hands, she didn't hide them, but just smiled at her and continued to sew.

Gu Zao saw the sachet she had made that day still lying in the sewing box. She reached out and picked it up, playing with the auspicious cloud knot she had tied. She was momentarily stunned.

The third sister looked up at her, smiled, and whispered, "Sister, is this sachet made for someone?"

Gu Zao's heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously reached under the table, giving her third sister a somewhat embarrassed smile.

Third Sister glanced at Gu Zao and smiled slightly, "Sister, please don't hide it from me anymore. Zaozi told me about it a few days ago. Although that person also came from the Grand Commandant's mansion, judging from his actions, he's not unreliable, and he's good to you. I've noticed that you seem to be preoccupied these days. If you also have feelings for him, why don't you tell him clearly? It'll save you from being unhappy and tormenting others as well."

Gu Zaowan never expected her third sister to say such a thing. Seeing her looking at her, she hesitated for a moment, then finally sighed and said, "Third sister, you don't know, although he is a good person, it's just..."

Gu Zao didn't continue, but the third sister understood after a moment's thought. She smiled and said, "Sister, I thought you had really changed your personality and become a straightforward person. But today I realized that you are still the same as before, indecisive and hesitant when faced with problems."

Gu Zao was taken aback. Her third sister sighed and said, "Sister, if I were you, I would ask my own heart if I truly like that man. If I don't, then there's no need to say anything. If I do, let alone his family being just a Grand Commandant's mansion, even if it were the Jade Emperor's mansion in the heavens, what difference would it make if I were with him? Even if I suffer some grievances, as long as he cares for me, I would be willing to endure it. After all, I like him."

Gu Zao looked at her third sister and saw a smile on her face in the candlelight, her bright, dark eyes looking at her. She had always thought of her third sister as just a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl, but she never expected that the words this little girl was saying would really strike her heart and leave her speechless.

Seeing that her third sister had finished the last stitch on the shoe sole and bit off the thread, and noticing that the lamp oil was getting low, Gu Zao told her to rest early. When her third sister nodded in agreement, Gu Zao took the sachet and went back to her room.

Inside the room, Fang was already snoring loudly. Gu Zao lay down on her own bed, tossing and turning but unable to fall asleep. The image of that person smiling at her kept flashing before her eyes, and she remembered what he had said to her under the wisteria trellis that day. Her mind was in complete turmoil.

Ask yourself, and even my third sister knows to say this.

Gu Zao held the sachet in her hand and sighed.

The Dragon Boat Festival is approaching, and the weather has already warmed up. Along the banks of the ditches on both sides of the Imperial Street in Tokyo, fruit trees such as peach, plum, and apricot are planted, interspersed with various wildflowers, creating a vibrant, colorful scene from afar. The streets are filled with vendors selling peaches, willow branches, sunflowers, calamus leaves, and mugwort. Madam Fang has been directing the preparations for the festival well in advance: brocade threads, mugwort flowers, fragrant candies, white rice dumplings, perilla leaves, calamus, papaya, and of course, zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) are indispensable.

After finishing their lunch break, Gu Zao's family and Shen Niangzi gathered around a large wooden tub and used soaked, snow-white glutinous rice to wrap various kinds of zongzi, including jujube and chestnut zongzi, lotus leaf zongzi, red bean paste zongzi, lotus seed zongzi, pine nut zongzi, ham zongzi, and so on.

Since every family makes zongzi for the Dragon Boat Festival, Gu Zao didn't plan to sell any during the festival. She made so many different kinds of zongzi because she wanted to save some to give to her eldest sister and the Shi family from Qingwu Academy. While wrapping zongzi, her third sister told her and Xiu Niang a joke that Gu Zao had told her and Xiu Niang a few days ago: "There was a Mr. Jia who wanted to eat roast duck but couldn't afford to buy it. He saw some oily roast duck in a shop on the street and it looked so tempting that he secretly rubbed some off with his hands. His five fingers were covered in duck oil, and he went home and licked his fingers to eat it. When his wife found out, she sprayed him with spit and scolded him, 'If you soak your hands in water and wash them, our whole family can have a roast duck soup!'"

Third Sister's storytelling was so vivid that it made Madam Fang, Madam Shen, and Liu Zao laugh heartily. Gu Zao, sitting directly opposite the shop's entrance, was also listening with a smile when she suddenly noticed another three-legged figure peeking out from the doorway, winking and making faces at her. Her heart skipped a beat. Seeing that Madam Fang and the others were listening intently to Third Sister starting the next joke, she excused herself and came out.

When San Dun saw Gu Zao come out, he took out a box from his sleeve that looked just like the ointment from last time and handed it over, saying, "My second master was afraid that the last box was used up, so he asked me to send a new one. He told you to keep using it so that the scar will disappear."

Gu Zao glanced at the box of ointment in his hand, hesitated for a moment, and finally couldn't help but ask, "Where is your second master? He's been quite busy lately, hasn't he?"

San Dun chuckled and said, "I accompanied the old man on a business trip a few days ago and just got back yesterday."

Gu Zao said "Oh," took the box of ointment, and suddenly remembered the strange thing, so she asked with a smile, "San Dun, have you heard your second master mention a person named Hu Qing recently?"

As soon as Gu Zao finished speaking, the three squatters laughed triumphantly and said, "That Hu Qing, I'm afraid he'll be living like a savage in a while..." But as soon as he said this, he suddenly seemed to remember something and covered his mouth, saying, "Look at my mouth, Second Master told me not to mention it to you."

Gu Zao pressed him for more questions, but this time San Dun kept his mouth shut like a clam, refusing to utter a single word no matter how much Gu Zao asked. Helpless, Gu Zao had no choice but to let him go. But San Dun refused to leave, standing there looking at her expectantly and saying, "Second Master was carrying a sachet and something earlier, and asked me to ask you. He's waiting under the bridge at the street corner right now."

Gu Zao's heart skipped a beat. After thinking for a moment, she finally sighed and said, "Go and tell him that I'm going to the Shoudao Hall by Jinming Pond outside the city tomorrow. We can talk about it tomorrow."

Sanquan paused for a moment, then suddenly his face lit up with joy, and he turned and left quickly. Gu Zao tucked the box of medicine into his sleeve before entering the shop.

The next morning, Gu Zao picked out a few of each type of zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) she had cooked the day before and put them in a food box. She also wrapped a homemade braised duck in lotus leaves, and folded a piece each of crystal cake and poria cake before taking it out. It turned out that tomorrow was the Dragon Boat Festival. Gu Zao thought about how Shi Niangzi had always taken good care of Qingwu when he went to Shoudao Hall to study, and she was very grateful. So she took this opportunity of the festival to go and deliver some food to him as a token of her gratitude.

Gu Zao went out of the street corner, hailed a car and headed towards the West Water Gate. In the distance, she saw Yang Hao riding a tall horse, standing by the city gate, looking somewhat uneasy, as if he was waiting for someone. Gu Zao looked at him, and when the car was close by, she lifted the curtain and smiled at him.

When Yang Hao saw that Gu Zao had indeed arrived and was smiling at him, he immediately relaxed a lot. He then spurred his horse and followed Gu Zao's carriage out of the city gate and headed towards Jinming Pond.

Because of the warm sunshine and blooming flowers, and the fine weather today, Gu Zao simply opened the curtains of her carriage. She saw groups of people out for leisure along the way, both men and women, all adorned with flowers in their hair, looking elegant and graceful. Gu Zao's carriage wasn't moving fast, but every now and then, young women riding astride fine horses would gallop past her, some wearing floral crowns, others dressed as men, followed by a group of wealthy young men from the capital in brocade robes and fine hats, their laughter echoing all around.

Gu Zao found it amusing, thinking that although those women were geishas, their unrestrained and carefree manner was something that even women of later generations might not be able to match. She couldn't help but purse her lips, and suddenly looked up to see Yang Hao, who was riding beside her, turning his head to look at her. Instead of avoiding his gaze, she smiled at him.

Yang Hao received a report yesterday that his second sister had surprisingly invited him to go out of the city together today. He was naturally delighted, but remembering her previous attitudes, he was also a little uneasy, wondering what his second sister was really up to. He was anxious last night, and finally, as dawn broke, he went to the West Water Gate early in the morning to wait. When he saw Gu Zao arrive, the first thing she showed him was a smile, which reassured him. He then looked closely at her neck and saw only a faint mark, which should fade in a few days. His worries of the past few days eased. Seeing that she didn't avoid his gaze but instead smiled warmly, he was even happier. He wished he could immediately send the coachman away so that it would just be him and his second sister. After traveling for about half an hour, Jinming Pond was almost in sight. Yang Hao finally couldn't help but stop the carriage and send the driver back.

Gu Zao got out of the carriage and saw Yang Hao standing there with his horse, just smiling at him. After thinking for a moment, he finally said, "Second Master, I promised you that I would reply to you after I had thought things through. I called you out today just to tell you that I have made up my mind."

Chapter fifty-six

Gu Zao looked at Yang Hao and said this softly. Seeing Yang Hao's eyebrows suddenly rise and stare at her, she knew he was a little uneasy. She smiled slightly, took out a sachet from her sleeve, handed it to him, and said shyly, "The shoes you saw before were made for me by my third sister. I couldn't make such a thing myself. This sachet is indeed not presentable, but it's filled with some chrysanthemum greens, mugwort, perilla, and some fragrant herbs, so it smells alright. You can take it to suit the occasion, but don't actually hang it up."

Yang Hao took the sachet and saw that the black background was embroidered with two concentric centers in silver and red silk thread. Although the stitches didn't look very neat, he didn't care about that. His eyes were fixed on the two concentric centers for a while. He looked up, his eyes full of smiles, and immediately grabbed Gu Zao's hand, his words becoming incoherent: "You..., this is..."

Gu Zao let him hold her hand tightly, and said with a smile, "Second Master, I know very well how good you are to me. However, my family has just arrived in Tokyo, and my younger siblings are still young and need care, so I have no intention of getting married at the moment. In a year or two, when my family is settled, if you are still interested, I will marry you. If you ever feel uncomfortable, please do so. I am not the kind of person who would pester you."

When Yang Hao heard her say she wanted to marry him, his heart leaped with joy, and he immediately refused. But then, remembering her words, he frowned and pleaded in a low voice, "Second Sister, it's the same if you marry me sooner. Do you think I wouldn't help you take care of your family?"

Gu Zao looked at him and gently shook her head, saying, "Second Master, I have never liked relying on others. If I were to marry you now, I would have to rely on you for everything. What others think is a small matter, but even I myself would feel uneasy all the time."

Yang Hao stared blankly at Gu Zao. Although her eyes held a smile and she looked gentle and charming, the words she spoke left him no choice but to accept. Though he was extremely reluctant, he quickly thought that he had finally received a definite answer from her. Even if it took a while, it was much better than before when he was constantly on edge. Respecting her spirit, he took her hand and smiled, "Second Sister, I only hoped that you and I would be of one mind. Now that I have received your words, I will wait as you wish, not to mention a year or two."

Gu Zao had said those words, knowing she had put him in a difficult position, so she had been carefully observing his expression. At first, he seemed somewhat unwilling, but in the end, he replied in this way. Although it was just talk, she didn't know what he was thinking, but she was indeed somewhat moved. Seeing that no one was around, she leaned over, stood on tiptoe, and gently kissed him on the cheek before smiling and saying, "Then thank you very much for your magnanimity, Second Master. I am truly grateful."

Yang Hao was completely captivated by Gu Zao's kiss, and seeing her smiling sweetly at him, his heart began to flutter. Ignoring the fact that it was broad daylight, he reached out to pull her into his arms, but Gu Zao dodged him. She picked up the food box she had just placed on the ground and turned to smile, saying, "Second Master, I'm going to the Shoudao Hall to visit Madam Shi today. You should go back first."

Seeing several boaters approaching from behind, Yang Hao had no choice but to restrain himself. He stepped forward, snatched the food box from Gu Zao's hand, and hung it on the side of the saddle before laughing and saying, "Mr. Shoudao and I are old friends. Didn't I eat the crab you made at his house last year? It's perfect that we're going together today. I'll also have a drink with you."

Seeing that he was determined to follow, Gu Zao didn't want to drive him away, so she had no choice but to comply. The two walked along the pond towards the Shoudao Hall at the foot of the mountain. Yang Hao kept looking at Gu Zao without saying a word, just chuckling, not caring about others. He reached out and tightly took Gu Zao's hand. Seeing that he, a grown man, was behaving like a child who had received candy, Gu Zao's heart softened, and she let him hold her hand.

From Jinming Pond to Shoudao Hall by the mountain, it was still about a mile, but the two of them felt like they arrived in no time. Reaching a mountain hollow, they turned a corner and soon arrived at Shoudao Hall. Gu Zao stopped, trying to shake off Yang Hao's hand, but he held on tightly. Annoyed, Gu Zao stamped her foot and said, "It was fine before, since they were all strangers. But here, are you still going to drag me in like this? At least save me some face!"

Yang Hao saw that although she had a hint of reproach on her face, her cheeks were slightly flushed from walking, making her look even more beautiful than the wild peonies by the roadside. He was moved and couldn't help but lean over and whisper, "Second sister, kiss me again, and I will let go as you say."

Seeing that he was taking advantage of her, Gu Zao was so angry that she raised her other hand to hit him, but before she could touch his clothes, he grabbed her wrist. Before she could react, she was pulled into his arms, and Yang Hao lowered his head and kissed her lips.

Gu Zao was startled and tried to push him away, but he held her tightly, and she couldn't muster any strength at all. Feeling his lips lightly touch hers, a gentle, bird-pecked kiss, she felt a little calmer, thinking that she would let go after the kiss. But the man seemed to enjoy it, and he extended his tongue to gently lick her lips, feeling a slight dampness and a tingling sensation. Gu Zao couldn't help but let out a soft moan. Encouraged, he suddenly thrust his tongue into her mouth, slowly and gently touching her lips, sucking on them incessantly.

Gu Zao's mind was buzzing. She could only feel his kiss gradually becoming more intense from the beginning, until it felt like he was about to swallow her whole. Her whole body was so weak that she couldn't even breathe. Only then did he release her.

Yang Hao looked down at Gu Zao in his arms. He saw that her eyes were like rippling waves, her face was flushed, and her lips were slightly parted, still moist from his kiss, glistening with a lustrous sheen. He felt a swelling ache within him and couldn't help but pull her closer to him, calling her name softly.

Gu Zao had just caught her breath when she felt his erection again. Startled, she struggled and said with a hint of annoyance, "Second Master, let me go! Aren't you afraid of being seen in broad daylight?"

Seeing that Gu Zao was indeed somewhat annoyed, Yang Hao feared she was about to turn on him again, so he loosened his grip. Gu Zao broke free from his embrace, glared at him fiercely, and turned the corner and walked away. Yang Hao stood there blankly, pondering for a long time, then suddenly led his horse and chased after her, chuckling softly, "Second Sister, if it's not possible in broad daylight, then when is it possible?"

Seeing that this man had gotten a taste of success and was no longer restrained, Gu Zao was both annoyed and amused. She ignored him and walked forward. Yang Hao was unwilling, but seeing that the Shoudao Hall was just ahead, he didn't dare to act rashly. He could only cough and slowly follow.

Today, Shi Niangzi was hanging some clothes and quilts out to dry in the sun when she saw two people walking towards her from afar. Upon closer inspection, she recognized them and hurriedly came to greet them. She took Gu Zao's hand and said with a smile, "Second Sister Gu, the jar of fermented oil that you had Qingwu bring over last time, all my neighbors who tried it said it was delicious. They've been asking you to come and teach them how to make it. You've actually come! Please teach me quickly so I can be your teacher tomorrow."

Gu Zao smiled and agreed. Then, Madam Shi turned to Yang Hao, bowed, and said with a smile, "Ever since you came once last year, Second Master Yang hasn't come again. My husband often thinks about you. We came together today, so I told him to finish his studies early and have a few drinks before he leaves." As she spoke, she ushered the two of them inside.

Yang Hao hurriedly thanked her and exchanged some polite words. Gu Zao noticed that he had completely lost his rogue-like demeanor and was now quite serious. She secretly found it amusing and couldn't help but smile. However, Yang Hao noticed her staring at him and, fearing that Madam Shi might see through her, picked up the food box and made an excuse to go to the back kitchen.

Yang Hao was disappointed when the beauty left, but he didn't dare to show it on his face. He just sat there. After a while, Shi Jie came over. After exchanging pleasantries, Shi Jie invited him to brew tea in the bamboo forest behind the house. Only then did he put aside his thoughts and go with him.

Madam Shi went to the kitchen and saw Gu Zao. She smiled and said, "We're having Master Yang drink today. You're a good cook, so we'll have to trouble you. I'll light the fire for you."

Gu Zao didn't refuse and agreed. Because it was the Dragon Boat Festival tomorrow, and seeing that her kitchen had prepared quite a few dishes, the two discussed it and decided to cook a few dishes.

Chapter Fifty-Seven

When Gu Zao came in, he saw that Shi Niangzi's front yard, just like his own, had a large vat filled with lotus flowers, which were now growing beautifully. He realized that Qingwu had learned to make his own vat from there. He went over to take a look, picked a few lotus leaves, and took them to the kitchen, saying to Shi Niangzi, "I saw that you had some glutinous rice soaking, and you also had lotus leaves, so I'll make some lotus leaf glutinous rice chicken."

This lotus leaf sticky rice chicken is a Cantonese late-night snack, with an origin of only about a hundred years, but it's not available at the moment. Intrigued, Madam Shi asked a few more questions. Gu Zao smiled and said, "It's just a snack, made with the delicate fragrance of lotus leaves. The tenderer the lotus leaves, the better. Newly grown lotus leaves emerge from the water, with one side dry and the other just submerged. These leaves are the most fragrant and the perfect size."

Madam Shi smiled and said, "From what you've said, it's similar to zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), except one is made with mugwort leaves and the other with lotus leaves. It's quite a festive snack."

Gu Zao smiled, took the young chicken that Shi Niangzi's stove had already prepared, chopped it into pieces slightly smaller than eggs, and marinated it with salt, rice wine, and a spoonful of sauce. She also took some dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked them in water, diced a few bamboo shoots, and noticed a bowl of freshly picked, emerald-green broad beans, so she grabbed a handful, peeled them, and set them aside.

Gu Zao cooked the glutinous rice, loosened it with a spoon, sprinkled in a little salt in several batches, and then mixed in shiitake mushrooms, broad beans, and diced bamboo shoots. Next, she took a washed lotus leaf, laid it flat with the back side up, brushed it with a thin layer of sesame oil, wrapped the chicken pieces in glutinous rice, pinched them tightly, and placed them on the lotus leaf. First, she folded up the bottom of the lotus leaf to wrap the glutinous rice ball, then folded up the left and right sides, and finally folded the top edge over, wrapping it into a square bundle. She tied it with silk thread, and then placed these lotus leaf bundles, each about the size of an adult's fist, into the steamer.

"Steam over high heat until thoroughly cooked, for at least 50 minutes. The longer it steams, the stickier the glutinous rice will be, and the flavors of the lotus leaf and chicken will infuse into it, making it taste even better," Gu Zao said with a smile to Shi Niangzi.

Shi Niangzi nodded and watched as Gu Zao grabbed another fresh carp from the jar, cleaned and cut it into small pieces, marinated it with salt, cooked it with a little fermented oil, and then fried it with the fish scales and catnip. After removing the dregs, she added some sauce to thicken the sauce and poured it over the fish pieces before serving it.

Watching from the side, Madam Shi was somewhat puzzled and asked, "Second Sister Gu, you mentioned the name of this fish earlier, it seems to be called 'Frozen Ginger and Vinegar Fish'. But I didn't see you add ginger and vinegar, so what does 'frozen' mean?"

Gu Zao smiled and said, "Fish is usually eaten hot to avoid a fishy smell. However, if you eat this fish in the summer, you have to put it in a secret container and let it cool down in the well. Then take it out and pour a strong ginger and vinegar sauce over it to make it taste better. That's why it has such a name."